Can someone please identify this coin?
YQQ
Posts: 3,366 ✭✭✭✭✭
Is it Roman? or something like that?
is it worth anything?
Thank you for helping
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
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Hi, YQQ. You are correct that you have a coin from the Roman Empire. Specifically, this is a billon centenionalis depicting the future emperor Constantius II, Constantine the Great's middle son, by his second wife. This coin was struck during his father's reign, and so only gives Constantius the junior imperial title of "Most Noble Caesar" (Latin abbreviated NOB C).
The two standards between the soldiers on the reverse indicate this was struck c. 330 - 335 AD. In 336, the weight standard of the centenionalis was reduced, and the reverse design changed to having only one standard between the soldiers. I'm a little unsure of the mintmark at the bottom of the reverse. It looks like it could be either Heraclea, or Nicomedia, depending if the third of the four letters is an H, or an N.
This is among the most common of ancient Roman coins, but your example is well centered, with full inscriptions. It would make a good start to a collection of the Constantinian dynasty.
Thank you Titus for your great explanation. Sure looks like you know your stuff.
I thing I will just put this coin in a 2x2 and gift it to one of our coin club juniors.
Is your experience and knowledge limited to Roman coins? Or are you also knowledgeable in very old Indian ancients ?
I had a post some time ago :
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/983121/ancient-indian-coins-hopefully-someone-can-help#latest
Thank you again
H
That is wonderful knowledge, TitusFlavius.
I knew it was Roman, after Diocletian, but could not gave come closer with the books. I am just shaky enough on this to ask - the letters in the inscriptions are some form of Greek?
The letters here are all from the Roman alphabet, except for the officina designation on the reverse. On the obverse, it reads "FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C"; on the reverse, it reads "GLORIA EXERCITVS" and in the exergue "SMNΔ." The Δ represents the fourth workshop (officina) at the mint. RIC VII 191.
Jeremy Bostwick
For exceptional works of medallic art, check out our current inventory at Numismagram!
Note that the Nicomedia mint is in modern day Turkey, a bit east of Istanbul/Constantinople.
tjbuggey.ancients.info/romemap.html
You're welcome, and I'm glad it will continue its almost 1,700 year history in a YN's collection. I'm a hopeless generalist, so I collect just about any form of money. Roman coins are definitely near the top of my interest/knowledge. Unfortunately, with Indian coins I'm mostly limited to what I can look up in Krause. I do recognize coin #10 in the other thread as the distinctive horseman/bull type that was widely issued (and imitated) in medieval India, c. 1000's to 1200's AD.
thank you all for your input